Zenarian Language
The Zenarii have a complex language often called Zenarian that few organisms from non-Zenarian species know and fewer still can actually speak. Zenarii have written in their language on the walls of their great undersea cities, and those land animals who wish to hear it aloud can go beneath the sea and listen to the slow, nasal singing of this most strange species. Phonetics The only consonants found in Zenarian language are m, ng, l, r, and nh (a nasal palatal approximant, or nasal "y", transliterated either nh or n). The vowel sounds ah, eh (more like an ah and and eh simultaneously than an English e), aw, oh, oo, and uy exist. Additionally, each sound can be spoken in any of four tones. (Zenarii communicate in a very high vocal range, and sometimes human scholars take their speech down an octave in attempting to mimic them, which confuses the Zenarii because they have little to no concept of octaves.) The tones are each a bit less than a whole step apart, and correspond to twice the shortened half steps around which most ninth-world music revolves. Tones are secondary for meaning in Zenarian phonology, and usually specify subtleties or connotations. I will go into Zenarian script and writing later, but because I have no good way to display their symbols with my keyboard and because the language is mostly spoken, I will for the time being write out Zenarian words in a transliterated system using Roman characters and Earth's numerals. An example of accepted Zenarian transliteration follows. Enhanguy (41223) The number corresponds to the tone of the sound, with 1 lowest and 4 highest, written in the same order that the sounds appear in the word. (The separate sounds in this word are e, nh, a, ng, and uy.) Word Order The Zenarian language uses a basic verb-object-subject word order. Regular, noun-derived adjectives and adverbs follow the nouns and verbs they modify. Some irregular modifiers precede their nouns and verbs, and in dictionaries they are marked with p.n. or p.v. Grammar and Morphology N.B. Most information on how a word fits into a sentence is found in its beginning sounds, not its final ones. Bear in mind, on another note, that all the following rules may have exceptions in specific irregular words. Nouns Nouns decline, having three different cases plus a plural prefix. The subject form begins with an "ah", the direct object form with an "oh", and the indirect object form with an "oo". A noun is pluralized when one adds "ngeh" (33) to the beginning of it. Eg. The word amngoo translates to "descent". Ngehamngoo then means "descents", and ngehoomngoo means "to the descents". Pronouns Pronouns work almost identically to other nouns, using the same patterns, except that the direct object form usually begins with "eh" rather than with "oh". Adjectives and Adverbs Adjectives match the nouns in case but'' never take on a "ngeh" prefix. They have a prefix of their own, "mol" (224), that distinguished them, and the plural looks just like the singular. "Mong" may appear instead of "mol" in some older texts, but this form is considered an archaeism). Most adjectives derive from nouns. "Mol" may be added to the beginning of almost any noun to form a regular adjective meaning something like "like a __" or "posessing the quality of __". After the adjectival prefix, adjectives will contain the "ah", "oh", or "oo" to signify case. Those rare adjectives not formed regularly from nouns will sometimes leave out the "l" sound in the first syllable and begin with only "mo" or "moh", depending on the transliterator. ('N.B.' Most regular, noun-derived adjectives will not appear in dictionaries. Look instead for the noun forms.) Adverbs work exactly like adjectives, rather than beginning with "mol" and then matching the modified nouns, they begin with the prefix "rahl" and match the modified verbs. '''Verbs' Verbs do not conjugate personally, but do change to show tense and mood. An indicative verb in present tense begins with M, in past tense with L, and in future tense with Nh. For a continuous action, the prefix "awng" is added. Regularly formed hypotheticals and subjunctives have the prefix-like word "roo-" as well; "roo-" precedes "awng" if both are called for. Dictionary Find below a brief collection of Zenarian words. Nouns appear in singular subject a- form, and verbs appear in indicative present m- form. Ahehloo (1232) -- child Ahohnhoom (13242) -- anything/one Alnh (223) -- a second-person pronoun, implying respect or kindness Alnh (332) -- a second-person pronoun, implying dislike, unkindness, or casualness Alnheroh (223144) -- interlocutor Alnhohlaw (431221) air Amngohmah (1133244) -- birth Amngohmah (411233) -- beginning Amngoo (4321) -- descent Amnh (342; p.n.) -- another Amohuyl (22344) water Amongahehuy (1333214) -- Zenarian person Amongohrahl (2341324) -- age Amruy (2144) -- colleague Amruy (4331) -- sibling Ang (23) -- a third-person pronoun, implying respect or kindness Ang (32) -- a third-person pronoun, implying dislike, unkindness, or casualness Anglawnguy (332211) -- bottom Anglehm (13322) -- body Angluyngaw (331122) -- top Anheloh (41333) -- darkness Anhl (211) -- anger Anhloo (4442) -- location Anholah (14222) light, brightness Aohnheh (4223) -- basket, carrying container Aoolong (24433) -- food or sustenance Aoolong (31134) -- nature, instinct Ar (23) -- a first person pronoun Arem (4124) -- Ninth-World Arlenh (22311) -- kindness Arloong (43321) -- bad Arng (233) -- good Aroonhawng (413324) -- fear Aruynhe (34122) -- land, air, area abovewater Auyluy (3322) -- art Awmoor (4332) -- food Emloo (4311) -- an exclamation of regret Engaruy (33413) -- a greeting Enhanguy (41223) -- an exclamation of success or happiness Malnguy (33114) -- behave Marloong (443321) -- badly Marng (1233) – well Mawlaw (2323) -- attack Mawm (434) -- be Mawroonguym (3411232) -- scratch Melnhohl (143234) -- add Menh (331) -- ask Menhol (22121) -- eat, feed on Meraleh (122211)-- agree Mngluy (4222) -- rest Momruy (22144) -- work Muyanh (2444) -- create Muyngawm (22441) -- move, travel Ranh (324) -- about Roo (44) -- maybe, might (have), could (makes a verb potential) Ruyngoh (4311) -- while, during the time when Zenarian Writing Most written examples of the language are carved deeply in stone on the buildings of Zenarian cities. Because the Zenarii cannot see, such writings are designed so that a Zenarius can read tactilely with its fingers. Click the picture at right to see a rough chart matching sounds with symbols that may help your transliteration, complete with tonal numbers. N.B. Roman transliterations of Zenarian words and texts often leave out the "h" that some linguists include at the end of vowels to clarify the intended sounds. Literature in Zenarian Although most Zenarian city inscriptions are nothing more than street signs and tags of ownership, there are several notable works of literature written in Zenarian. The genre of Zenarian Epics in particular is considered great. It contains lengthy about the history of Zenarii interconnected with fictionalized stories concerning individuals involved. Architects often inscribe copies of these on vast city walls, where the public can read them while the originals lie unseen-- or rather, unfelt-- in library vaults. A work often referred to as Ruyngoh Awngluyngawm Ngehar is a famous example of an early Zenarian epic. With a title that translates to something like As We Were Traveling, it tells the story of a time when the Zenarii had no homeland and wandered for a several generations before finally finding places to settle down. Its author is unknown Weaknesses The fact is well-known that Zenarianis is not a convenient language to use. Members of aquatic Ninth-world species are practically the only ones who can physically produce and differentiate adequately between the sounds of spoken Zenarian. Even communication in Zenarian between native speakers is hindered by the great amount of time it takes to speak it and the greater amount of time it takes to write or read it. The Zenarii have done as well as they can with it. Some have hypothesized that their difficult, slow language influenced their slow and peaceful lifestyle based on traditions and patterns, which could function smoothly with little communication. Nonetheless, the Zenarian language is a unique and fascinating facet of culture. Category:Marine Category:Language Category:Cultural Category:Zenarii Category:History